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The Montreal Canadiens will hold a pre-game ceremony honoring Saku Koivu on Thursday.

It's fitting that the Canadiens are hosting Koivu's other team, the Anaheim Ducks. Koivu served as the team's captain for 10 years. He officially announced his retirement in September. The 40-year-old played 1124 NHL games, scoring 255 goals and 832 points with the Canadiens and Ducks. Thu, Dec 18, 2014 07:37:00 PM

Minnesota Wild captain Mikko Koivu reflected on Saku Koivu's career and what it meant to him.

Saku, who is the older brother of Mikko, announced his retirement Wednesday morning. Mikko never liked playing against his brother and called the possibility of them facing each other in the playoffs his biggest fear. However, when Saku had the opportunity to eliminate that possibility by signing with Minnesota, he chose not to do so, feeling it was Mikko's team. "More than anything, he wanted to protect me and give me my time to do my thing here," Mikko explained. "I think it felt right for him and I respected that. Looking back, I think it was the right call for us." Saku Koivu had a long and fruitful career and Mikko Koivu's NHL tenure has been largely successful too. The younger Koivu has 130 goals and 452 points in 601 games. Wed, Sep 10, 2014 04:07:00 PM

Saku Koivu has decided to retire from the NHL after 18 seasons in the league.

"Looking back at my 22 years of pro hockey first in Finland and then in the NHL I feel truly blessed and fulfilled," Koivu said. "I have been contemplating retirement for quite some time and am very confident in my decision at this time and place." Koivu finished with 255 goals and 832 points in 1,124 games with the Montreal Canadiens and Anaheim Ducks. He won the Masterton Memorial Trophy in 2002 and then the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2007. On the international stage, he's won nine medals with Finland, including a silver in the 2006 Olympics and gold in the 1995 World Championship. Wed, Sep 10, 2014 11:05:00 AM

Less than a month after being discarded by the Anaheim Ducks, veteran NHL player Saku Koivu has put his California house on the real-estate market -- for $6.5999 million.

Koivu and his wife, Hanna, purchased the property in October 2009 for $4.975 million, according to public records. Koivu, 39, played the past five seasons with the Ducks after spending more than a decade with the Montreal Canadiens. The Ducks chose not to re-sign the Finnish veteran. His home, in Irvine, Cal., is a Tuscan-style residence, combining formal living spaces and casual indoor-outdoor environments, featuring a fossilized stone and reclaimed brick exterior with antique roof tiles and five fireplaces salvaged from France. It has nearly 7,400 square feet of living space, which includes a 1,500-bottle wine cellar, a gourmet kitchen, seven bedrooms, six full bathrooms, a courtyard with a fireplace and a covered loggia of more than 1,000 square feet. An outdoor kitchen and a pool also reside on the half-acre grounds. Koivu said recently he is considering retirement. Sun, Jul 20, 2014 06:15:00 PM

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Minnesota Wild captain Mikko Koivu reflected on Saku Koivu's career and what it meant to him.

Saku, who is the older brother of Mikko, announced his retirement Wednesday morning. Mikko never liked playing against his brother and called the possibility of them facing each other in the playoffs his biggest fear. However, when Saku had the opportunity to eliminate that possibility by signing with Minnesota, he chose not to do so, feeling it was Mikko's team. "More than anything, he wanted to protect me and give me my time to do my thing here," Mikko explained. "I think it felt right for him and I respected that. Looking back, I think it was the right call for us." Saku Koivu had a long and fruitful career and Mikko Koivu's NHL tenure has been largely successful too. The younger Koivu has 130 goals and 452 points in 601 games.

Saku Koivu has decided to retire from the NHL after 18 seasons in the league.

"Looking back at my 22 years of pro hockey first in Finland and then in the NHL I feel truly blessed and fulfilled," Koivu said. "I have been contemplating retirement for quite some time and am very confident in my decision at this time and place." Koivu finished with 255 goals and 832 points in 1,124 games with the Montreal Canadiens and Anaheim Ducks. He won the Masterton Memorial Trophy in 2002 and then the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2007. On the international stage, he's won nine medals with Finland, including a silver in the 2006 Olympics and gold in the 1995 World Championship.

Less than a month after being discarded by the Anaheim Ducks, veteran NHL player Saku Koivu has put his California house on the real-estate market -- for $6.5999 million.

Koivu and his wife, Hanna, purchased the property in October 2009 for $4.975 million, according to public records. Koivu, 39, played the past five seasons with the Ducks after spending more than a decade with the Montreal Canadiens. The Ducks chose not to re-sign the Finnish veteran. His home, in Irvine, Cal., is a Tuscan-style residence, combining formal living spaces and casual indoor-outdoor environments, featuring a fossilized stone and reclaimed brick exterior with antique roof tiles and five fireplaces salvaged from France. It has nearly 7,400 square feet of living space, which includes a 1,500-bottle wine cellar, a gourmet kitchen, seven bedrooms, six full bathrooms, a courtyard with a fireplace and a covered loggia of more than 1,000 square feet. An outdoor kitchen and a pool also reside on the half-acre grounds. Koivu said recently he is considering retirement.

Saku Koivu won't get a contract offer from the Anaheim Ducks, according to GM Bob Murray.

The veteran forward is considering retirement, but he did say that he would've preferred to stay with the Ducks if he decided to return for another year. Koivu may decide to check what offers he gets on July 1 from other clubs before deciding if he will call it career.

The 39-year-old is up in the air as to whether or not he wants to play in 2014-15. The Ducks may be looking for another center as well, but if Koivu did return to the NHL, he would prefer re-joining the Ducks. He had 11 goals and 29 points in 65 games last season so his fantasy value is negligible.

"I'll take a couple of weeks to decide [on my future]," Koivu said. "Get away for a little bit and then take it from there." The Ducks might have interest in re-signing him as a bottom-six forward if he decides to extend his career. Even if they want to move on, there's still a fair chance that another team will ink him to a one-year deal if he doesn't mind moving at this stage of his career. He had 11 goals and 29 points in 65 games in 2013-14.

After his team was eliminated from the post-season by the Los Angeles Kings Friday night, Koivu said he is going to contemplate his future but has not made a decision yet. "You are going to feel sorry for yourself for a while and then you get back to normal life," Koivu said. "I really don't have an answer for you . . . [just] really take a good, careful look." Koivu had one assist in 13 playoff games this season and was a minus 3. He is 39.

Koivu has no points and a minus-four rating in three games in the Ducks' first round series against Dallas. He was on the ice for just two shifts in Game 3 and logged 8:28 minutes of ice time overall in that contest.

The Ducks will likely use both veterans on Sunday in the final game of the season as they decided not to play them in back-to-back games to keep them rested for the playoffs. Koivu has 10 goals and 28 points in 64 games this season as the 39-year-old is winding down his NHL career.

It doesn't sound as if this is an injury-related situation. Instead, it sounds like it's all about giving the 39-year-old Finn a breather. For all that's been made about Teemu Selanne's age, Koivu isn't that much younger. Veterans like him might get spot scratches over the next week-plus, so stay tuned for updates.

Saku Koivu will be ready to go when the Anaheim Ducks return to action on Friday.

The Ducks are the last team to get back into action following the Olympic break and Koivu will be ready as he had a chance to recover after tweaking his groin and hip area in early February. "I took a few days just to complete my rest and was able to just get my mind away from the game," Koivu said. "We got back here and I got a bit of treatment and light workouts. Even though there's not a lot of guys, we were having a good intensity in our skates. A lot of skating. And we're hoping that he's going kind of ease on us a little bit towards Friday so we can feel good." Koivu has nine goals and 22 points in 45 games but has yet to pick up a point on the power play.

He reportedly said that he wasn't fit enough to participate in the Games. Koivu missed 15 games this season with a concussion, which could have something to do with that. He has eight goals and 17 points in 29 games this season. His Anaheim teammate Teemu Selanne was named to Finland's roster on Tuesday and his brother, Mikko, was put on the team as well even though he is sidelined with an ankle injury.

Depth Charts

He will not need surgery. Eric Stephens of the Orange County Register says Getzlaf will rehab the injury during the summer. The Ducks did not disclose any sort of timetable, though the 30-year-old should be ready in plenty of time for the start of training camp. Getzlaf had 25 goals and 70 points during the regular season, adding 20 points in 16 games during the playoffs.

Ryan Kesler is determined to play beyond the six-year, $41.25 million contract he signed on Wednesday.

Keep in mind that Kesler still has one season of his previous deal left, so he's locked up for the next seven campaigns. He'll turn 31 years old on August 31. "Right now, I'm fully confident that I can play out this contract and get another one after," Kesler said. We don't have trouble believing that he'll be able to extend his playing career beyond this contract, but there's a good chance that Kesler will be a significantly worse player by that point.

Rickard Rakell's only point of the playoffs came back in Game 3 of the first round against Winnipeg.

He scored the game-winning goal that night in overtime. Rakell hasn't earned a point in 11 straight games since then. He will continue to skate on the fourth line with Emerson Etem and Jiri Sekac in Game 6 against Chicago.

General Manager Bob Murray said that the shoulder injury suffered by Nate Thompson was a bad one.

Thompson required surgery to repair two labral tears and do not expect the feisty forward to be back in action until November or December. He will likely not be at 100 percent upon his return. His big fantasy value is in faceoff wins so we would take a pass on him this season.

Shawn Horcoff has signed a one-year contract worth $1.75M with the Anaheim Ducks.

Horcoff had another poor year with Dallas in 2014-15, scoring just 11 goals and 29 points in 76 games. Anaheim possibly represents a fresh start for Horcoff who is now 36-years-old, and just finished a five-year contract worth $33M he originally signed with Edmonton.

The Anaheim Ducks and Jakob Silfverberg continue to talk about a contract extension.

Silfverberg is a restricted free agent and the Ducks want him back in their lineup after an outstanding playoffs where he had four goals and 18 points in only 16 games. Silfverberg struggled in the regular season with only 13 goals and 39 points in 81 games but the post-season showed many what kind of hockey player he is capable of being.

Patrick Maroon scored his seventh goal of the playoffs in the Anaheim Ducks' 5-2 loss to the Blackhawks in Chicago Wednesday night.

The Western Conference Final is now tied at 3-3, with the seventh and deciding game to be played in Anaheim Saturday night. Maroon has contributed 10 points in 15 playoff games for the Ducks. Anaheim's other goal Wednesday was produced by Clayton Stoner, his first of the post-season. The Ducks never led in this one and were down by as much as 3-0 in the second period.

The Anaheim Ducks and newly acquired RFA forward Carl Hagelin are "making progress" on a new contract.

With now-teammate Andrew Cogliano serving as a comparable, Hagelin "is believed to be seeking something in the neighborhood of $3-3.5 million annually." Cogliano is two years older and with over twice as many games played in the NHL than Hagelin, he is also in the middle of a four-year contract worth $12M. Hagelin appears as focused as ever regardless of what he signs for, "I always go in with the same mindset every year. I’m ready to do whatever it takes." If the two sides cannot come to an agreement by Sunday afternoon, then they'll have to settle in arbitration later in the summer.

While it's not 100 percent certain, it looks like Tomas Fleischmann will draw back into the Anaheim Ducks' lineup against the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 7 of the WCF on Saturday.

Bruce Boudreau seems like he's leaning toward experience in slotting Fleischmann in for Emerson Etem. The 31-year-old Czech has one assist in five postseason games. He's gone three straight without a point, receiving minimal ice time and only generating a single SOG in that span. It would be surprising if "Flash" is a big difference-maker in this one, but Game 7's can be unpredictable.

Corey Perry had personal highs in the 2015 playoffs with 10 goals and 18 points in 16 games.

His 10 goals also tied Anaheim's franchise record for goals in a single postseason, which was originally set by Andy McDonald in 2007. Unfortunately, he won't get to continue as his Ducks were eliminated in the Western Conference Final by Chicago.

Andrew Cogliano scored a goal in Anaheim's triple-overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday.

Cogliano has recorded a point in three of his last four contests. Tuesday's defeat will obviously be particularly tough for Anaheim to swallow, but it needs to bounce right back in the Western Conference Final. If Cogliano continues to play like he has lately, there's a fair chance the Ducks will be able to accomplish that.

Jiri Sekac will remain in the lineup for Game 2 against Chicago in the Western Conference Final.

He skated on the fourth line in his first NHL playoff appearance during Game 1 on Saturday. Coach Bruce Boudreau liked what he saw from the trio of Sekac, Rickard Rakell and Emerson Etem, so he'll keep the intact for Tuesday night.

The deal is reportedly worth $1.7 million dollars. The 27-year-old scored 28 goals back in 2009-10 but has failed to hit the 20-goal mark since then. Stewart is a big body who doesn't shy away from contact and he certainly has the ability to score at the NHL level, but consistency has always been an issue. Still, this is a good low-risk signing for the Ducks. He had 14 goals and 36 points with Buffalo and Minnesota last season.

The Anaheim Ducks are expected to roll the same lineup on Tuesday night in Game Two as they did in Game One on Sunday against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Forwards Tim Jackman and Tomas Fleischmann will be joined by defenders James Wisniewski and Korbinian Holzer, along with goalie Jason LaBarbera in the press box to cheer on their mates. Of note, only Jackman and Fleischmann have seen postseason action during these playoffs and have combined for a point in 13 games.

Cam Fowler was disappointed yet again as the Ducks dropped another Game 7.

This is the third straight year that the Ducks have lost a Game 7 at home and it's starting to wear on the young blueliner. "It's miserable," Fowler said. "It's an awful feeling. I just feel like personally, I let a lot of people down. I think as a team, we let a lot of people down. We felt like we had a special thing going and for it to be over is a pretty surreal feeling, to be honest. It doesn't feel like we deserve to be done yet, but that is how it goes." Fowler had an assist on the final goal and ended the playoffs with two goals and 10 points in 16 games.

Sami Vatanen had a goal and an assist in the Ducks' 5-4 overtime win against Chicago in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final.

He potted two goals in the first four games of the playoffs when Anaheim faced Winnipeg in Round 1, but his production had slowed down since then. Vantanen accounted for three assists in his previous nine games. He now has posted 10 points in 14 matches this postseason.

Look for Kevin Bieksa to be the veteran leader of the Anaheim Ducks blueline.

The Ducks had Francois Beauchemin as their veteran leader last season but the unrestricted free agent left for the Colorado Avalanche this week. The 34-year-old Bieksa will provide the veteran presence for the young Ducks like Cam Fowler 23, Sami Vatanen 24, Hampus Lindholm 21 and Simon Despres 23. Bieksa used to be a very good fantasy defenseman but with four goals and 14 points in 60 games last season, he has little value outside of his penalty minute totals at this stage of his career.

Hampus Lindholm had a goal and an assist in Sunday's 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

Lindholm continues to be one of the most underrated players in the entire NHL. The 21-year-old opened the scoring at the 8:48 mark of the first period and he also added an assist on Nate Thompson's insurance marker in the third period. Lindholm finished the game with a plus-1 rating and two blocked shots in 22:43 of ice time. He now has two goals and eight points in 10 playoff games in 2015. Lindholm was named the game's second star.

Simon Despres has been a pleasant surprise on the Ducks blueline since his trade from Pittsburgh at the trade deadline.

Despres had the winner on Thursday but his solid play since the March 2 trade has impressed his teammates. "When you don’t expect much from a guy because you didn’t know the guy, it was a great surprise for everybody," fellow defenseman Francois Beauchemin said. "He was the steal of the deadline, that’s for sure. In the last few years I don’t know if there’s a guy that was traded at the deadline that’s made such a big impact on a team as he did. It was just a great move by Murph (GM Bob Murray)."

Clayton Stoner netted his first goal of the 2015 playoffs on Wednesday night in Game 6 against Chicago.

He scored less than two minutes into the third period to shrink Chicago's lead to one goal, but the Ducks couldn't get the tying marker and ended up with a 5-2 loss. Stoner has one point, 28 blocks, 59 hits and a plus-5 rating in the postseason this year.

The Ducks first round pick and 26th overall in the 2013 Draft is a high scoring defenseman who may need some more minor league seasoning. He played a bit in Norfolk at the end of the season but had 13 goals and 48 points in 43 games for Seattle of the WHL. He shouldn't see any playoff action but with the Admirals eliminated from play in the AHL, the chance to be with the Ducks during the Stanley Cup run, can only help him in the future.

The season didn't end the way he wanted it to, but Andersen did have a strong campaign in 2014-15. "I know that I've taken steps," Andersen said. "But we'll see. I'll talk to the people on my team to get me better, my trainers and stuff. How to build for next year. It's not going to be tomorrow, but it's going to be hopefully pretty soon." The 25-year-old finished the year with a 35-12-5 record and a 2.38 goals-against-average and a .914 save percentage.

Anaheim GM Bob Murray said that goaltender John Gibson is not on the trade block.

There were plenty of rumors when Murray dealt for Carolina netminder Anton Khudobin but the GM nixed those thoughts quickly in a press conference. "It’s funny," Murray said. "I make a deal and everybody obviously assumes one of the two is going. Maybe everybody should look back at what went on last year and the [bad situations] that were created with the injuries with these two guys and the different ways we tried to fix it and didn’t work. This way, we’re covered. We’re covered right now. I have no idea how it’ll play out at the start. But I just know I’ve got my back end covered right now." It looks like Frederik Andersen is slated to start and Gibson could find himself in the minors as he does not have to clear waivers next season.